My guess is that the OE springs that you had were probably already shot by atleast an inch.. No? So your "5in gain" may be closer to 3-4"? With 5" of true lift, over stock ride heights, I would think you'd have had driveline issues during your trip.
Would've enjoyed a trip down there, but I ended up out at the BORR race instead. Hopefully next year I'll make it down for this!!
... I hope you gave my dinner plate to a homeless person.
So, what more do you have left? Rear shocks & coils, decided if brakeline is OK.. and that's it? Have you done the small tune-up type items: air filter, plugs, wires, etc?
I think that when I was doing a lift on a 2nd gen ('95), I ended up torching the bushings out. I didn't have much issue with the shocks on my '99 though.